KATHMANDU: The government has appealed to the general public to strictly implement public health standards after the coronavirus began to spread at the community level in an alarming rate, of rate.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, the daily coronavirus infection rate since mid-July has gone up to 20 to 25 percent.

There are more than 500 active infected people in 19 districts of the country including the Kathmandu Valley. These include Morang, Sunsari, Jhapa of Province 1 and Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Chitwan, Makwanpur, Kavrepalanchok, Dolakha and Nuwakot of Bagmati Province.

Similarly, more than 500 people have been actively infected in Nawalparasi East of Gandaki, Kaski, Baglung, Gorkha, Syangja, Rupandehi of Tanahun Lumbini and Surkhet of Karnali.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Health Dr. Krishna Poudel said that looking at the condition since mid-July, one out of every four persons who undergo screening tests positive for the virus. “The infection rate is on the rise,” he said, urging general public to use masks, maintain physical distance and wash hands with mild soapy water frequently to reduce the number of infected people.

Similarly, coronavirus infection was confirmed in 3,481 people across the country on Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Health, the PCR tests of 10,907 people on Monday confirmed the infection in 2,616 people and the antigen tests of 5,749 people in 65 people.

The Ministry of Health has projected 193,856 additional infection cases by mid-December.